Hot August Night is Neil Diamond’s 1972 double Platinum live recording. It captured the pop superstar at the start of his creative powers and remains one of the finest live performances ever captured. Recorded at Hollywood’s Greek Theatre in August 1972, the set list featured a collection of his greatest hits including “Cracklin’ Rosie,” “Song Sung Blue,” “Sweet Caroline” “Holly Holy,” “Play Me,” “Walk On Water,” and more. To commemorate the 40th anniversary, the album has been digitally remastered from the original master tapes and includes three previously unreleased bonus tracks. Diamond’s exhilarating energy, raw emotion and unmatched musicianship are on full display with this landmark recording, one of the greatest live albums ever!

This is the ultimate Neil Diamond record. Not necessarily the best — he’s at his most appealing crafting in the studio — but certainly the ultimate, capturing all the kitsch and glitz of Neil Diamond, the showman. And that also means that it’s not just loaded with flair, but with filler, songs like “Porcupine Pie,” “Soggy Pretzels,” and “And the Grass Won’t Pay No Mind” — attempts to write grand, sweeping epics that collapse under their own weight. Still, that’s part of the charm of Diamond and while it can sound unbearable on studio albums, it makes some sense here, surrounded by his pomp and circumstance. That spectacle is the great thing about the record, since it inflates not just his great songs, it gives the weaker moments character. And while this does wind up being a little much — 21 songs, 24 on the 2000 reissue — it nevertheless is the one record for casual Neil fans, after the hits collections, since this shows Diamond the icon in full glory.